MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An NBA referee has sued The Associated Press and a sports writer over comments made on the social networking site Twitter.
In a federal lawsuit filed Monday in Minneapolis, NBA referee William Spooner claims AP sports writer Jon Krawczynski (kraw-ZIN’-skee) defamed him in a Twitter post while Krawczynski was covering the Jan. 24 Rockets-Timberwolves game.
The lawsuit says Krawczynski’s Twitter message falsely implied that Spooner purposely made a bad officiating call in favor of the Timberwolves to make up for an earlier incorrect call that went against them.
Spooner is seeking damages of more than $75,000 for defamation, and a court order to remove the statement from Krawczynski’s Internet postings.
AP attorney Dave Tomlin says the AP believes the facts it reported from the game in all media were accurate.
